By Canadian Press

Canada men’s rugby team to play in new four-team tournament in Spain in November

Oct 17, 2023 | 8:46 AM

Canada will join host Spain, Brazil and the U.S. in the La Vila International Rugby Cup next month.

The new men’s tournament will run Nov. 11 to 18 at the El Pantano stadium in the coastal town of Villajoyosa, 365 kilometres southeast of Madrid.

All four sides failed to qualify for the World Cup. The Americans are ranked 18th in the world while Spain is No. 19, Canada No. 23 and Brazil No. 26,

World Rugby is funding the competition, which sees Canada face Spain and the U.S. take on Brazil on Nov. 11. The winners will face off in the Nov. 18 final with the losers meeting in a third-place playoff.

“Rugby World Cup 2023 has demonstrated how much our performance unions benefit from playing regularly, not only against the best teams in the world but also in competitive matches against each other,” World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said in a statement.

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“As well as broader discussions on the calendar, World Rugby is continuing to work extremely hard to create and fund opportunities like this, working with new towns and partners with the ultimate goal being to increase competitiveness across the board.”

The matches are the first for the Canadian men since a pair of losses to Tonga in August during a tour of the Pacific islands.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2023

The Canadian Press